Kevin Durant joins Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade as members of the All-NBA First Team for the 2009-10 season.

Durant earns his first All-NBA First Team selection after becoming the youngest player (21 years and 197 days) to lead the league in scoring (30.1 ppg). His 756 free throws made was the sixth highest single-season total in NBA history and the highest since Michael Jordan made 833 in the 1986-87 season, while his .900 percentage from the line ranked sixth overall. Durant earned NBA Western Conference Player of the Month honors in April after scoring 30-plus points in seven consecutive games to close the regular season.

Kevin Durant has continued to find ways to help his team win.

We saw KD flash his defensive prowess in the Thunder’s Game 3 win over the Lakers, when the league’s leading scorer helped shutdown one of the game’s all-time greatest scorers in Kobe Bryant, holding the Black Mamba to just four points in the fourth quarter as Durant used his length and athleticism to put the brakes on the reigning NBA Finals MVP.

Critics said that KD and the Thunder had officially arrived on that night.

If so, then what to make of Oklahoma City’s Game 4 win over the Lakers two nights later at the Ford Center?

The national media, both print and broadcast, praised the Ford Center for its earsplitting noise and unwavering support. Game 3 was a sea of blue at the Ford Center, Game 4 was a whiteout and of course there were scores of KD jerseys in the house.

But KD and the Thunder have been all about the team since day one. It’s why you hear Kevin thank his teammates time and again after a big scoring night. They all support each other. Heck, even Kevin’s mom sported a Serge Ibaka jersey at Game 4. KD’s mom was flanked by his two grandmothers, both of who could hardly contain themselves.

And while KD dropped a game-high 22 points, including 9-for-11 from the free-throw line, it was his four rebounds and two blocks that were just as important.

Of course, the game was flush with some highlight reel plays by KD.

His thunderous, cocked-back one-handed fast break dunk not even five minutes into the game gave the Thunder a 9-8 lead, one that it would never relinquish. The Ford Center crowd ate that one up, and KD acknowledged them by letting out a roar of approval himself and a glance at the crowd.

And then there was KD’s pull-up three-pointer late in the third quarter that gave Oklahoma City a 20-point lead. KD stepped into and shot that one with such confidence, as if he knew it would scorch through the net.

The Thunder had built such a lead against the defending champs that KD was able to rest the entire fourth quarter. Afterward, a reporter made mention of KD finishing eight points under his regular season scoring average, to which head coach Scott Brooks replied jokingly, “KD, eight points under his average, I don’t know. We’re going to have to work on his offense.”

Even with the physical, defensive-minded Ron Artest guarding him, KD has continued to run him off screens and gain as much separation to get good looks at the basket.

But it still must feel good to be able to help your team in a variety of ways.

And all it’s done is inject even more confidence into KD and his teammates. He might only have four playoff games under him, but KD has become a fast learner.

And even though the Thunder lost those first two games in L.A., it will roll into the Staples Center on Tuesday night knowing that it has as good shot at stealing Game 5 on the road.

“We knew what we are capable of from how hard we play every day and how hard we practice every day,” Kevin said. “So with those attributes I think we can go far as a team. It’s all on us. We control our own destiny at this point and we’ve just got to continue to bring the effort every day.”

KD and his teammates will be ready.

-Team KD

You’re seeing a different side to Kevin Durant right now.

The national spotlight is shining bright on him and his Thunder teammates. As the league’s youngest scoring champion in decades, his every move is being dissected and analyzed. Everyone wants to talk to him. Most of the questions are repetitive, the answers regurgitated. Obviously, because it’s the playoffs the stakes are so much higher. So KD is learning how to adjust.

He’s keeping his small circle of family and friends close to him. Twitter and his blog can wait until the offseason. KD just wants to focus on winning games.

He and his Thunder teammates got their first win of its first-round playoff series against the defending champion L.A. Lakers in Game 3, outlasting them, 101-96, before a one of the most hyped up crowds he’s ever played before.

And on a night when his offense wasn’t as consistent as we’ve seen this season – he scored 29 points on 8-for-24 shooting – KD stepped it up in other areas.

He grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds, dished four assists and had a key block down the stretch.

He also had a chance to defend the reigning NBA Finals MVP, Kobe Bryant, in a tight fourth quarter, holding him to just four points in the final frame. Kevin used his length and quickness to both challenge Kobe’s shots and keep him from getting to the rim.

The national media took notice, saying that KD had arrived. Everyone knew he could score in bunches, but defend? Well, that’s something they’ve never seen. Then again, they haven’t followed him as closely throughout the regular season.

“Other parts of my game get overshadowed because I score the basketball a lot this season but I’ve just been trying to play hard,” KD told reporters on Friday. “A lot of people don’t recognize that so that’s what last night was all about, playing hard. Kobe Bryant’s the best player in the world and some of those shots he missed it’s just because he missed. Maybe two or three of those shots I made him miss. But I know he’s going to come back more focused and more ready for the game but hopefully he’ll miss those shots that he takes next game.”

This has been a great, big learning process for Kevin and his teammates, most of whom are playing in their first-ever playoff series.

KD said he’s learning something new each game. And he’s hoping that those lessons will help him come Game 4 on Saturday night at the Ford Center, where the Thunder will look to even its best-of-seven series at two games apiece.

“I’m just being more comfortable,” KD said. “The first game was kind of like a feeling-out process. The second game I kind of knew how they were going to play me and knew different spots where I could score, rebound and pass the ball. The third game was getting comfortable so hopefully that fourth game I get more and more comfortable and help my team win.”

-Team KD

The Oklahoma City Thunder are in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Many of KD’s Thunder teammates have been wearing the Zoom KD II throughout the regular season. Now many of them have started wearing special playoff colorways of the Zoom KD II for their match up against the Los Angeles Lakers. Here’s a look at some of the colorways KD and his Thunder teammates will wear throughout the playoffs.

For more information on the KD and where you can find various models of the shoe, please click HERE. And if you have a pair of Zoom KD II’s, make sure to take a pic of yourself holding the shoe and send it in to KD35sightings [at] gmail.com. We will feature your Zoom KD II photos in the KD II sightings section of the site.

In support of the First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative, the Ad Council, Department of Health and Human Services and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, have developed new childhood obesity prevention PSAs. KD is featured in the PSA with Bugs Bunny and some of the other popular Looney Tunes characters. Check out the spot below:

Find out more about the Let’s Move! initiative HERE.

Keeping up with Kevin Durant has been no easy task as of late. The All-Star forward has been all over the map and in the headlines during the final month of the NBA regular season.

KD got another Player of the Month award, won the league’s scoring title and is set to play in his first playoff series with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

In early April, Kevin was honored at the 34th annual March of Dimes Sports Headliner Awards Banquet as the Headliner of the Year. Durant got the award for achieving national and international success in a major sport. With a team on the rise, a national sneaker deal, commercials and shout outs from celebrities and hip hop artists like Snoop Dogg, KD has no doubt brought recognition to Oklahoma.

The banquet was held at the historic (and sometimes spooky, depending on who you ask) Skirvin Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City, and Durant was surrounded by the people who matter most to him, including his mother, grandmother, brother, cousin, friends and members of Goodwin Sports Management.

And when KD returned to the court, he kept on scoring. Whether it was from the free-throw line, behind the arc or coming off those tight curls, Kevin was lighting up scoreboards. The result: KD became the youngest scoring champion in league history when he edged out LeBron James with a scoring average of 30.1 points per game.

Bottom line is we’ve continued to see KD mature before our very eyes. He led the Thunder in scoring, rebounds, steals and was second in blocks. So as much of a scorer KD has developed into, he’s becoming just as polished in other areas on the court.

And when Kevin finally sealed the scoring title in the Thunder’s regular season finale against the Memphis Grizzlies, the third-year forward finally broke his silence. KD admitted that the scoring title had been in the back of his mind for most of the season.

“It’s not something I came into the season saying I wanted to get,” Durant said. “But it feels good to be a part of history.”

“I’ve got to tell you guys that,” Durant said, smiling. “But it was in the back of my mind the whole season to be honest with you. It’s going to be cool to go home and say you’re the scoring champ at 21 years old. It’s a blessing, something I can’t take for granted.”

Hey, when media and fans are asking you left and right if you’re going to lead the league in scoring, it’s kind of hard to completely shut it out.

But now comes the fun part for KD. Durant and his Thunder teammates are in the playoffs in just its second season in Oklahoma City. The city is buzzing. The team is playing well. KD is doing his thing. A run-in with the Los Angeles Lakers can only bring good things to KD and his teammates in the long run.

Nothing like making your playoff debut against the defending champs.

And KD has been focused over the last couple of weeks. He’s in the zone, so to speak. His attention is focused solely on these playoffs. So wish him well and make sure you check him out in his playoff debut against the Lakers tomorrow.

KD will be checking in with you about his first playoff series on his blog very soon.

—Team KD

NEW YORK, Apr. 16, 2010 – The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant today was named the Western Conference Player of the Month presented by Kia Motors, for games played during April.

In the month of April, Durant led the league in scoring (34.6 ppg) and added 7.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists 2.0 steals and 1.6 blocks. On April 3, Durant recorded 23 points, five assists, five rebounds and five steals, leading Oklahoma City to a win at Dallas and the team’s first playoff berth since 2005. Durant followed up that performance with 40 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal in a win over Minnesota the following night. Durant, who became the youngest player ever to lead the NBA in scoring (30.1 ppg), had a streak of seven consecutive 30-point games to end the season.

Here is a closer look at the month for Durant:

April 3 @ Dallas: Recorded 23 points, five rebounds, five assists, five steals and one block in a 121-116 win over the Mavericks.

April 11 @ Golden State: Totaled 40 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals in a 120-117 loss to the Warriors.

The Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month presented by Kia Motors are part of a series of on-court performance awards called “The NBA Performance Awards Presented by Kia Motors.” The series, currently in its third season, is part of a multiyear marketing partnership between Kia Motors America and the NBA, and includes four of the league’s most prestigious year-end honors: Most Valuable Player Award, Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man Award, and Most Improved Player. Kia Motors is the Official Automotive Partner of the NBA and the all-new Sorento is the league’s Official Vehicle. For more information on the “The NBA Performance Awards Presented by Kia Motors” visit www.NBA.com/performanceawards.

The latest colorway of the Nike Zoom KD II has hit Eastbay.com and other retailers. One fan named David Dinh has already picked up a pair of his own and sent in a photo and a message about the shoe.

Here’s what David had to say about the shoe:

“I luv your KD II’s. I had to grab this colorway as soon as it got released online. Great shoes and love how symbolic the shoes are to you. I’d do the same if I could create my own product line.”

If you’re interested in picking up the White, Black and Photo Blue colorway make sure you visit Eastbay.com today!

And if you already have a pair of KD II’s, make sure you send a photo of yourself holding the shoes to KD35Sightings [at] gmail.com and we’ll feature it in the KD II sightings section of the site.

21-year-old Kevin Durant scored 31 points in the final game of the season to finish the season as the youngest scoring champion in NBA history.

KD finished with an average of 30.1 points, 0.4 ahead of LeBron James, and supplanted 22-year-old Max Zaslofsky of the 1947-48 Chicago Stags as the youngest scoring champ in NBA history.

KD’s record setting scoring year was highlighted by a streak of 29 straight games of 25+ points; an accomplishment topped only by Michael Jordan over 20 years ago.

Kevin and the Thunder finished with 50 wins on the season and open their series against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday afternoon.

What’s good everyone? We had a little bit of a let down last night against the Warriors. Tonight will be another big game because we have the same record as the Blazers and need a win against them to stay ahead in the seeding for the playoffs. Make sure you tune in and check us out tonight!

Well, the college basketball season is officially over, but I really haven’t talked much about women’s basketball. Since I was just watching the WNBA Draft the other day, let’s talk about the lady ballers.

First off, I’m a big fan of basketball no matter who’s playing – women, men, young kids. Being drafted into the NBA, I know that’s a big thing for anybody to be able to go into the profession they’ve always wanted to go to. So to see the smiles on everyone’s faces when they heard their names called during the WNBA Draft was something I enjoyed.

I’ve got a couple of friends who were drafted that I got to know over the years from playing basketball, too. Monica Wright, she went to UVA and we’re from the same area. Tina Charles went to the University of Connecticut and Jayne Appel from Stanford, we all played in the same McDonalds All American game. So it was cool to see them get drafted.

We were playing the Utah Jazz the night of the women’s championship game, but I did get to catch the National Semi-Finals. Man, those were some good games. Brittney Griner from Baylor is real good and a lot of fun to watch. But UConn had a better team and they prevailed. So it was something else to see them win two titles in a row and not lose a game in two years.

UConn is one of the top teams I’ve ever seen. A 78-game winning streak??? That’s impossible to do. Definitely one of the top 10 teams I’ve ever seen.

What did you all think? Let me know in the comments section.

Fans: Be sure to check out Kevin on Twitter and Facebook.